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Wild Thing
The Wild Thing is a fictional creature from Where the Wild Things Are, a 1963 children's picture book written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. In the book, Wild Things are malicious beasts who inhabit an island where a young boy named Max, after sailing there, intimidates them and is hailed as their king. The book has sold over 19 million copies worldwide and has been adapted into a live-action feature film. History with the Macy's Parade Out of all the characters that have appeared as balloons in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Wild Thing has a significant history. In 1998, Macy's and Bell Atlantic announced a Wild Thing balloon to debut in the 72nd Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade alongside Babe the Pig and the titular boy genius from Dexter's Laboratory, to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Where the Wild Things Are. However, strong winds and heavy rain affected the 1998 parade, causing four balloons to get damaged and removed before starting their flight through Manhattan. Spider-Man, Garfield and Quik Bunny, three recurring balloons that were still eligible to fly, got that. Despite those three balloons being deflated, hopes were high that the Wild Thing would be a star in the streets of New York City. The balloon was already a crowd favorite despite not being in the parade yet, but then came trouble. A crosswind shoved the Wild Thing into a lamppost, causing his left arm and claw to get shredded. After the incident, Manfred Bass and then-parade director Jean McFaddin came to the scene. Despite only one section being punctured, it was too damaged to fly, as Jean McFaddin chose to rule out his debut. So he had to be deflated altogether and taken down immediately. The Wild Thing was not able to make his debut in 1998. Coincidentally, he was also the only new balloon in 1998 that missed its test flight, and due to this and the accident, he wasn't shown on the NBC telecast, and hosts Katie Couric and Matt Lauer did not mention him at all. After the 1998 parade ended, there was a press coverage on the questioning about the incident, and if he will appear again in the following year, and Macy's promised that he will return. In February 1999, Manfred Bass and Jim Artle did a chamber test on the Wild Thing, to check if the seals are fully air-tight. Luckily, the balloon passed its test, and is ready for the 1999 parade. However, despite Macy's promising to bring him back in 1999, one of the balloon's air chambers failed to inflate properly the night before the parade, so he had to be removed again. Despite his two failed attempts to debut in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Wild Thing was retired, and he would've been the second known giant balloon, the first being Dudley the Dragon, that never made it to Herald Square. But then in 2002, in preparation of the book's 40th anniversary, Harper College Children's Books decided to sponsor the Wild Thing balloon. Back then, there were also concerns if the Wild Thing will make the entire route. Not just because of his two failed debuts, but also the fact that 27 degree temperatures were forecast for the 2002 parade. Fortunately, as a result, he managed to withstand the route, and make his official Herald Square debut. After he finally did it in 2002, he managed to return again in 2003 to celebrate the book's 40th anniversary. After that, he was officially retired, and hasn't been seen since. Category:Giant Helium Balloons Category:Macy's Balloon Characters Category:Childern's Book Characters Category:1998 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Category:Comeback Balloon in the Parade Category:Retired Balloons Category:Not Seen in the Parade Only Characters in Two Year Category:Non-First Balloon in the Parade Category:Balloons that were in a accident Category:Not Seen in the Parade Only Characters in Four Years Category:90s Balloons